Referee Ivan Barton has become the epicenter of a controversy that has made waves on social media, generating indignation among fans of the Honduran national team. They believe that the Salvadoran referee's decisions favored Mexico to the detriment of the Honduran team, especially the time added to the match after the 90 minutes had expired.
The controversy continued off the field, as a video circulated on digital platforms showing referee Barton at the Mexico City Airport. In the images, the referee is wearing sunglasses and headphones, apparently oblivious to the growing controversy. But it did not go unnoticed by the Honduran fans, many of whom were on the same flight and confronted the referee. In the video, you can see how the Honduran fans express their discontent with Ivan Barton for his decisions on the field of play. Despite the criticism and complaints, the referee seems to ignore and does not respond to the accusations of bias. "In the plane they ask for more extra time thanks to Barton", "come on, Barton", and "all Hondurans are waiting for you with open arms", were some of the messages that were dedicated to him inside the plane. The Honduran fans are upset because they believe that the referee's decisions favored Mexico during the match that resulted in Honduras' elimination from the Nations League after losing on penalties to Mexico.
The president of the Honduran National Soccer Federation (FENAFUTH), Jorge Salomón, told the newspaper El Heraldo de Honduras that they would seek to proceed through legal channels, seeking to somehow win the game 'from the desk'. The referee granted nine minutes of added time, which turned into 12, and the equalizing goal was scored in the 100th minute, in addition to the claim that there was a foul on Edson Alvarez's goal. In the penalty shootout, two penalties missed by Chino Huerta were retaken and the third, which he did score, should also have been retaken because goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon had gone into the area to claim that goalkeeper Edrick Menjivar had been sent off for a double yellow card.
Source: Marca
